What is bullying … and what can nurses do to ensure that it stops?

Most of us will have witnessed or experienced bullying at some point. Bullying can have devastating effects on the general wellbeing and performance of victims. It can cause a sense of loneliness and a loss of self-confidence.

According to the General Dental Council (GDC), dental nurses are able to carry out fluoride varnish application on prescription from a dentist or via a dental health programme. This extended duty falls under ‘additional skills’ – dental nurses must be suitably trained in order to carry out such duties. 

Back in March of 2015, the GDC held a meeting looking at the Enhanced Continuing Professional Development Scheme. The focus was on changes to current legislation surrounding CPD. The GDC felt that the current guidelines were not efficient enough to avoid cases of poor performance in dentistry, and that a review of the CPD system would not only benefit those working in the industry but also raise public confidence in the profession.

As dental professionals it is very important for us to display confidence and a reassuring attitude to our patients over the telephone. The reception team is the first point of contact, so training is essential to ensure that its members deliver effective telephone conversations with our patients.

I took my Oral Health Education qualification online in 2011. I had just started working at a new practice which had a nurse who already ran an oral health education appointment book. However, she had plans to leave the practice and so I had been asked at my interview whether I would be interested in taking the qualification and continuing her work in this area when she left.